Hit Me

budgie · June 16, 2003, 03:24:01 PM

From an interview with Steven Shainberg at www.einsiders.com/features/interviews/stevenshainberg.php:

"I think so. I haven’t seen Hit Me [a film directed by Shainberg in 1996], and I think Sean’s going to send it to me. I hear that -- well, you got to work with Phillip Baker Hall on that film.

Man, he is just -- that guy -- he’s like a Greek -- he’s like an old Greek statue at the Parthenon! His face just carries the history of the human race on it. God, if you read that, you’d probably be thrilled and terrified.

Do you want me to print it?

I would love you to! Obvoiusly, Paul Thomas Anderson fell in love with him.

Certainly. Hard Eight was marvelous.

Yeah, you can’t work with the guy and not think of him for every other movie you’re going to make for the rest of your life. Had there been a part in this movie for him, he’d be in it, in Secretary. He’s a gem."

I loved Secretary and have just seen it for the second time. Has anyone seen Hit Me, or even know what it's about?

Please, Guffy, redirect me.

MacGuffin · June 16, 2003, 03:28:32 PM

Haven't seen, or even heard about it till you presented it, but:

Sonny is a frustrated 31 year-old bellhop at a rapidly declining hotel in Tacoma, Washington. With little to live for save for caring for his mentally retarded brother in their squalid apartment, Sonny makes ends meet by stealing goods from the hotel and selling them or by procuring sex for the hotel guests. When two people enter Sonny's bleak life, though, things begin to look up: suicidal beauty Monique (Laure Marsac) and Del (Bruce Ramsay), a former colleague of Sonny's who now has some cash in his pockets. Del has a business proposition for Sonny: steal money deposited in the hotel safe which was intended as stakes for a poker game organized by crime boss Ish (Philip Baker Hall) and head for Paris. Sonny has nothing to lose--but if he fails, the results could be deadly. This bleak, effective noir, based on a book by Jim Thompson (THE KILLERS, THE GRIFTERS, KISS ME DEADLY) was directed by Steven Shainberg (SECRETARY).

godardian · June 16, 2003, 03:31:26 PM

Liked Secretary. Will have to check into this.

budgie · June 16, 2003, 03:34:32 PM

Thanks, Guffykins.

I see it's a mere ten quid on Amazon, but I'm anti-stuff so don't wanna buy it. It sounds good.

bonanzataz · June 16, 2003, 03:44:24 PM

i saw a preview for this on the secretary dvd. i hated secretary. actually, that's not entirely true. it was good until the third act denouement.

modage · June 16, 2003, 05:32:54 PM

yeah i thought it was okay, but didnt really see anything special about it other than maggies performance which was good. and the nudity which was shocking.

Ernie · June 16, 2003, 06:15:28 PM

Quote from: bonanzatazi saw a preview for this on the secretary dvd. i hated secretary. actually, that's not entirely true. it was good until the third act denouement.

Your not...pronouncing...it...wait, nevermind, this might not be a subtle set up for an obscure film geek inside joke quote...you might actually dislike the third act denouement...and maybe you haven't seen Adaptation...shit.

Oh well, someday I'll get my chance and I will take it.

Gold Trumpet · June 16, 2003, 06:44:45 PM

Quote from: themodernage02yeah i thought it was okay, but didnt really see anything special about it other than maggies performance which was good. and the nudity which was shocking.

The nudity is the only thing I liked about the movie. So much so, I will now see any movie with Maggie Gynelhaal due to semi fascination. The movie took a fascinating and controversial subject and marginalized it down to an average story fit for any generic subject. The movie was such a hack job of trying some love story out of this situation that the issue was betrayed in so many ways. By the end, the subject is no longer controversial and just mundane. Wrong subject for wrong genre.

~rougerum

Ghostboy · June 16, 2003, 06:48:21 PM

My review is here : www.road-dog-productions.com/secretary.html

And I want to see Hit Me because I love Elias Koteas.

modage · June 16, 2003, 06:58:21 PM

Casey Jones 4 life.

bonanzataz · June 16, 2003, 08:24:27 PM

Quote from: ebeaman
Quote from: bonanzatazi saw a preview for this on the secretary dvd. i hated secretary. actually, that's not entirely true. it was good until the third act denouement.

Your not...pronouncing...it...wait, nevermind, this might not be a subtle set up for an obscure film geek inside joke quote...you might actually dislike the third act denouement...and maybe you haven't seen Adaptation...shit.

Oh well, someday I'll get my chance and I will take it.

i really hated it after the first half was over and i could see the direction it was going. the only reason i said the thing about the third act denouement was to give you the bait. which you almost took... but didn't. YOU BLEW YOUR ONLY CHANCE!